Ives Bill Limiting Community College Severance/Buyout Deals and Employee Contracts Sails through IL House

on
Monday, April 27, 2015

Legislation sponsored by State Representative Jeanne Ives
(R-Wheaton) that limits the size and scope of community college buyout packages/severance
agreements and which limits the length of employment contracts has been
approved unanimously in the Illinois House.

In response to the $763,000 contract buyout approved by
College of DuPage Trustees for President Robert Breuder, Ives carried HB3593,
which would limit the amount of future agreements to no more than one year of
salary and benefits. “The agreement that the majority of the COD trustees
approved for their underperforming president was excessive and not in the best
interest of the taxpayers who fund the college,” said Ives. “I would have liked
to have been able to roll back his agreement, but at least moving forward there
will be taxpayer protections in place.”

The bill also provides that employment contracts entered
into with a community college employee may not exceed three years if it is a
rolling contract, with a rollover term limited to one year. Additionally, the
bill limits employment contracts with a set start and end date to no more than
four years with no provision for any automatic rollover clauses. “Long-term contracts
have become problematic in instances where an employee is underperforming and a
change needs to be made,” Ives said. “My bill also provides that any contract renewal
or extension discussion must take place in an open meeting.”

Ives has been the leading force in the House of
Representative in responding to allegations of malfeasance at the College of
DuPage. In addition to HB3593, Ives is also the Chief Sponsor of HR55, which
directs the Illinois Auditor General to conduct a thorough performance audit of
all State moneys provided to the College of DuPage for fiscal years 2011-2014.